


Positive Reinforcement

by MechBull



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:02:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: Luke finds a new way to help Reid with his people skills.
Relationships: Reid Oliver/Luke Snyder
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to LiveJournal on July 27, 2010

Luke sat across the table from Reid. They were waiting for their dinner and taking the opportunity just to stare at each other. Reid gave Luke a small smile, trying to figure out if Luke’s expression conveyed teasing, amusement, annoyance, lust, disappointment, acceptance or some inextricable combination of all of them. Luke hadn’t said much more after Reid had made the nurse ( _Gretchen_ ) run away again. Reid was still trying to figure out what happened there. Some part of him knew it was the wrong thing to say – honestly, he had survived more than three decades with his nose more or less intact, so he was capable of civil conversation sometimes. But he just couldn’t stop himself, and he stuck his foot in his mouth deeper and deeper.

Reid really thought there was a way he could blame Luke for this. Luke had thrown him off, made him start questioning himself on _everything_ , made him _want_ to be a better person even when that meant inane chitchat with idiot co-workers.

The waitress brought their dinner out to them, and Reid sat back slightly to allow her room to move.

“Thank you, Marie,” Luke said, grinning at her.

Luke remembered her name? Of course he did. Actually, Reid wouldn’t be surprised if she was a cousin of some kind. Luke glanced at Reid.

Reid sighed. “Thank you. Marie.”

“Enjoy!” the young woman said before walking away.

Reid would deny it if anyone asked, but Luke’s beaming smile in his direction was enough of a reason to make the effort.

“See, that wasn’t so hard!” Luke said. Reid felt vaguely like a child being praised.

He rolled his eyes. “People who bring me food get a little extra consideration.”

Luke laughed. He took a bite of his dinner, casually feigning innocence as, under the table, the toe of his shoe slowly climbed up Reid’s calf. Reid raised his eyebrow.

**

Two days later, Luke showed up at the hospital half an hour early for the board meeting. Reid was discussing a patient with the nurse who was sort of with Bob Hughes’ ridiculously pretty grandson ( _Alison_ , a small voice in his head that sounded disturbingly like Luke reminded him. _And Casey._ ).

“Hi Luke!” she said cheerfully, and Reid turned around to greet him as well.

Luke nodded at her in reply and handed Reid a cup from Java. Reid looked down at it in surprise.

“Figured you could use a caffeine pick-up before the meeting.”

“Yeah, probably. You just know that Warner’s going to drone on about the – ”

“Dr. Warner’s a respected member of the staff here and has been for longer than I’ve been alive,” Luke said sternly, taking a sip of his own coffee.

“Maybe it’s time to think about retirement,” Reid said under his breath, as he fiddled with his coffee cup.

Luke sighed, and Reid tried not to feel guilty.

“OK,” the nurse ( _Alison_ ) said, sounding like she was trying to hide her amusement. “I’ll go take care of these procedures, Dr. Oliver.”

 _About time_ , Reid almost said. Almost. Then he caught Luke’s eye. Luke watched him nervously, and Reid smirked. He turned to the woman and said deliberately, “I appreciate that, Alison.”

She stared at him like he had grown an extra head, and then she walked down the hall. Luke stepped closer and picked up Reid’s tie. He pulled his hand down, running the silk between his fingers. Reid could feel Luke’s knuckles grazing against his stomach. Luke gave him a half-smile before leaning in to kiss Reid in the corner of his mouth.

“See you at the meeting,” he said softly, walking away without even a backward glance. Reid stared after him until he disappeared from sight.

As predicted, Warner monopolized the meeting talking about things that were pointless and irrelevant. Reid didn’t interrupt at all; he merely sat and listened. Or pretended to. He really was focused entirely on Luke, who was sitting back in his chair, one foot crossed over the opposite knee, giving Reid a direct line of sight to his crotch. One of Reid’s favorite things about Luke was how he couldn’t keep his legs closed. Luke was also absent-mindedly _fondling_ his pen as he listened raptly to the doctor’s report, and that was giving Reid all sorts of ideas. As Warner concluded his presentation, Luke looked over and met Reid’s eyes, the heat in his gaze undeniable.

**

Emma Snyder has roasted a chicken and served it with potatoes and fresh vegetables from her own garden and followed it up with homemade pie. But the best thing that Reid tasted that night was Luke’s tongue. He sucked on it, and Luke moaned into his mouth. Luke pressed his body against the length of Reid’s, and Reid could feel Luke's hard cock grinding into his stomach. Reid exhaled shakily against Luke’s mouth, as he wrapped an arm around Luke’s waist and pulled him closer. Luke went willingly, rotating his hips to create a delicious friction.

Reid knew, or accepted, that this wasn’t going anywhere. That this was the latest in a long sequence of goodnight kisses that probably would get them arrested if anyone ever saw them. He had never been with someone who wanted to wait this long. Actually, he had never been with someone who wanted to wait at all, because frankly, Reid didn’t have the time or patience for relationships that required that kind of effort.

He would wait forever for Luke. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to.

And in the meantime, damn, Luke could kiss.

Luke pulled back, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes slowly. Reid opened his eyes as well, swallowing as he stared back at Luke. Luke gave him a small smile.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“My pleasure,” Reid whispered back.

Luke’s smile grew, and he leaned against Reid’s body. He lifted his hand to Reid’s cheek, running his palm along Reid’s skin.

“I mean it. You didn’t have to come tonight, and you did. And you actually participated in conversation and everything.”

“Certain members of your family can be tolerable company,” Reid pointed out. “Just certain ones,” he emphasized.

Luke laughed, briefly resting his forehead on Reid’s shoulder. “There you are,” he muttered.

Reid smiled quickly, returning to a stony expression as Luke pulled away and looked at him again.

“Those people skills are still a work in progress, huh?”

“Why is it so important to you?” Reid asked, genuinely curious. “It’s some sort of mission for you.”

Luke shrugged, dropping his eyes away from Reid. “I don’t know.”

“Luke.”

Luke inhaled, lifting his head but still not meeting Reid’s gaze. “Bob said you needed it, right? For the chief of staff position. I just want to make sure you get it.”

Reid nodded slowly, remembering back to some of the things Luke had asked him when the topic first came up. “Even if I didn’t, there’d still be the neuro wing.”

“Mm-hmm,” Luke agreed quickly. Too quickly.

“And even if the wing fell through, the hospital still needs neurosurgeons.”

“I know,” Luke said defensively. “But the wing isn’t going to fall through.”

“No, it’s not,” Reid concurred. “I’m just saying – I’m not going anywhere. I have job security, even if I don’t become chief of staff. I’d even find a way to work for Doogie Hughes, if I had to.”

Luke nodded, staring down at the place where their stomachs met. Reid moved his hands to Luke’s cheeks, forcing him to lift his head and meet Reid’s eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Reid repeated.

Luke smiled that smile that would make Reid do anything. _Anything._ Then Luke kissed him again.

**

Perhaps the ultimate test of Reid’s restraint came about a week later. It had been a long day, and he couldn’t bear the thought of cooking. So Reid went to Al’s, planning to pick up some chili and a sandwich for dinner. He stopped in surprise at the sight in front of him. Noah was sitting in a booth, a half-eaten meal in front of him. Luke was standing next to him, a take-out bag in one hand. They were talking about something, and both men laughed right when Reid stepped into the restaurant.

Reid almost turned around and walked right back out of the restaurant.

“Hiya, Dr. Oliver,” the really loud, pregnant woman who worked there yelled at him. “Your regular?”

Both Noah and Luke (and really, everyone else in the diner) looked at him. Reid half-smiled, walking farther into the building.

“Yes,” he said, taking a moment to remember the “please.”

He exhaled and then bit the bullet, walking closer to Luke and Noah. “Hi,” he said softly to Luke and then turned slightly towards the other man. “Hello Noah.”

“Dr. Oliver,” Noah said shortly.

“Uh, how’s your vision?” Reid asked, feeling like an idiot. Luke grinned at him.

“Fine,” Noah replied, staring at his food.

Maybe he was better at this nice crap than he thought. And, it should be pointed out to Luke later, much better at it than Mr. Mayer. Reid doubted _he_ had ever been one for role-playing. Reid, on the other hand, hadn’t been able to get the idea of Luke and the stethoscope out of his head since –

“Is that chicken salad?” he asked, some part of his brain apparently still focused on the conversation at hand.

“Uh. Yeah,” Noah said.

Reid half-turned, glancing to the counter. “Hey, uh – what’s her name?”

“Janet,” Luke supplied.

“Janet! Can I get a chicken salad sandwich too? Please.”

“Sure thing, Doc,” she bellowed back at him.

“You need two sandwiches?” Luke asked, amused.

“No, it’s Katie’s favorite. She’s working late tonight, so I’ll drop it off at the station.”

Luke looked at him like he had just cooked a three-course meal for a group of orphans. Then, he inhaled quickly, turning back to Noah.

“Well, I’ll see you later, Noah. I gotta get this food to Nat and Ethan.”

“Yeah, bye,” Noah murmured, gazing up at Luke.

Reid tried not to roll his eyes. Thankfully, he suddenly found himself with an arm full of food. Reid reached into his back pocket, pulling out a bill that was really too much. But the sooner he could get out of there, the sooner he could stop acknowledging Noah Mayer’s presence.

“Keep the change.”

“Really?” the woman ( _Janet_ ) asked incredulously.

“Sure,” Reid said. He turned to Noah, forcing himself to say goodbye.

“Bye,” Noah choked out.

And Luke, who despite his earlier comments had lingered in the restaurant, walked out with him. Just outside the door, Luke turned to him, a wide smile on his face.

“How late does Katie work tonight?”

Reid shrugged. “I don’t know. Eight or something.”

“And Jacob?”

“With Margo, I think.”

“Mmmm,” Luke replied.

“What?” Reid asked, fighting a smile.

“Thought I might come over after I drop off this food.”

Reid remained silent for a long beat. “Sure,” he finally said. There was something of a promise in Luke’s eyes that made Reid breathless.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Reid opened the door, Luke was in his arms and kissing him. Luke’s momentum pushed Reid back several steps and, once they were clear, Luke kicked the apartment door shut. He wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck, deepening their kiss. Reid groaned. His knees hit the arm of the couch and he toppled over backwards with an _oof_. Luke sprawled on top of him, their legs dangling over the edge of the couch.

Reid attempted to sit up, only making it to his elbows. He slithered, pulling himself back along the couch. Luke crawled after him, refusing to break their kiss. Once they were fully on the couch, Luke started rocking his hips in slow thrusts against Reid. Reid finally pulled his mouth away from Luke’s.

“Wow,” he said, voice rough with desire. “Uh…hi.”

Luke smiled. “Hi.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but that was one hell of a greeting,” Reid observed, reaching a hand around to Luke’s lower back, giving him an unspoken hint to resume his earlier movements.

“Do you realize,” Luke said in reply, “that you were civil – hell, downright nice – to several people simultaneously today? And you didn’t fall over dead.”

“Ha ha,” Reid said, smiling and almost forgetting what he was going to say as Luke bent down and sucked Reid’s earlobe into his mouth. “Katie is my friend; getting her dinner is no big deal. And that woman at the diner is about to pop, so she could use a decent tip. Her food certainly doesn’t merit one otherwise.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Luke muttered as he sucked on Reid’s neck. One of Luke’s hands traced along Reid’s side and then up to his chest. Luke eventually began fumbling one-handed with the buttons on Reid’s shirt. Reid considered helping him, but his hands were quite comfortable squeezing Luke’s ass, it turned out. “Four people, really. Anything you do for Janet benefits my baby cousin too.”

Reid opened his eyes, which had been drifting shut. “What?”

Luke shook his head. “The baby’s father is my dad’s cousin.”

“I should have guessed,” Reid said, flinching slightly when Luke pinched his side. “Anyway, remember what I said: people who supply me with food – ”

“And then there was Noah,” Luke interrupted.

Reid sighed. He sat up, dislodging Luke. Luke looked at him, startled.

“You know how to kill the mood,” Reid said, annoyed.

Luke smirked. He threw a leg over Reid’s lap, trapping him on the couch. Wrapping an arm around Reid’s shoulders, he pulled Reid closer and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I was just going to say, if you can be nice to _him_ , you might finally have aced the finals.”

Reid glanced at Luke with a hesitant smile. “The only reason I _tried_ to be nice to him was because I know it means a lot to you. I did it for you.”

Luke’s 100-watt grin returned. He stood and held out a hand towards Reid. Reid cautiously took it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

“Follow me, please,” Luke said, smirking. “I’m not making love to you on a couch.”

“Excuse me?” Reid asked, stumbling behind Luke on the way to his bedroom.

“You heard me,” Luke said, not turning around.

“I’m going to bypass the fact that you called it making love like some 15-year-old girl,” Reid continued, his inner voice screaming at him to shut up and not ruin this, “and instead ask why our sex life seems to operate on some kind of barter system. We can just, you know, do it. It doesn’t have to be earned as a reward for something. Especially not something Noah-related.”

Luke stopped abruptly, spinning to face Reid. He picked up Reid’s other hand, holding them both loosely in his own. He closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose, and then opened them again to look into Reid’s eyes.

“It’s not because of Noah,” Luke admitted, barely shaking his head. “Not really. I’ve – I’ve been scared.”

“Why?” Reid asked quietly, tightening his grip on Luke’s hands.

Luke took a deep breath, glancing down before meeting Reid’s eyes again. “I’ve only ever been with one person. And just, uh, performance anxiety aside, I know how things are with him. Not just sex, but everything. I know how he can hurt me. I don’t know yet how you can hurt me. And the unknown is scary.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Reid declared. “I probably will, but I don’t want to.”

Luke nodded. “I know. I’m figuring that out. Because you’re nice to the people who matter to me. Because I’ve asked you to be. So, that’s why. I saw something today that made me realize I…trust you enough now to take that step. We keep saying _if_ this thing between us is going to be something, _if_ we’re going to have a relationship...but we already do, don’t we?”

Reid stepped slightly closer, lifting a hand and putting it to Luke’s cheek. He tried to come up with something to say in response, but he had no words. So he merely slid his hand around to the back of Luke’s neck and pulled him in for a chaste kiss.

It didn’t stay chaste for long.

Reid pushed Luke back into the bedroom, working at the buttons of his shirt as they went. The damn plastic discs felt huge and unmanageable. Finally, he just gave up and tore the shirt apart. Buttons flew everywhere, and Luke pulled back in surprise. He looked down at his shirt and then back up at Reid. For a second, Reid thought he was going to get yelled at.

“That was hot,” Luke said breathlessly. Reid grinned.

And then Luke was sitting on the bed, sneaking his hand into the waistband of Reid’s jeans and pulling him down on top of him. Reid propped himself up on one hand, gazing down into Luke’s eyes as their groins made contact. Luke spread his legs, and Reid fell into the groove that made, causing their cocks to line up perfectly. Reid groaned.

Suddenly, Luke flipped them. Reid kind of loved how he could switch from pliant and submissive to insatiable and in control and back again. Luke sat up, resting on his knees, which were pressed tightly against Reid’s sides. Reid exhaled roughly, placing his hands on Luke’s hips and holding them there as Luke gyrated in slow circles on top of him.

Luke pushed himself further back. Reid moaned at the loss of heat and contact, but moaned even louder when Luke’s nimble fingers worked at his belt buckle. Soon, Reid's cock was springing free, and he felt the cool air of the room hit his erection. Reid hissed, lifting his hips slightly. Luke looked up at him with a teasing, seductive grin, and then took him completely into his mouth.

Reid groaned, thrusting even higher in response. Luke’s left hand went to Reid's hip, forcing him back to the mattress. His right hand went to the base of Reid’s cock. Luke wrapped his fingers around him and stroked slowly, his hand coming into contact with his lips as he bobbed his head. Reid managed to watch for a few beats – Luke’s hair falling into his eyes, his red mouth stretched wide around Reid’s cock. And then he couldn’t watch anymore. His head fell back onto his pillow as he gave a whimpered sigh, and he just let Luke have complete control.

He felt Luke back almost completely away from him. He traced the tip of his tongue along the slit on the head of Reid’s cock. And then he took Reid all the way in again. The muscles of Luke’s throat slightly massaged him as he swallowed. Reid’s breath was coming in short, ragged pants, and he didn’t think he’d last much longer. He moaned, half in pleasure, half in warning.

And then the wet heat and suction was gone, and Luke was slinking back up his body.

“Not yet,” Luke ordered.

Luke sat up again, then leaned to the side, reaching out for Reid’s bedside table. “In here?” he asked unnecessarily, and Reid nodded quickly.

Luke came back to him, a condom and a bottle of lube in his hand. Reid sat up and took the bottle that Luke offered to him. They worked as a team, Luke rolling the condom onto Reid and Reid reaching around behind Luke to slip one, two, three fingers inside him. By the time he added a fourth finger, Luke was nonverbal, writhing around on Reid’s lap, leaking from his own erection and holding onto Reid’s shoulders as he moved. Reid knew what Luke was looking for, and whenever he shifted, Reid angled his fingers away from the spot. Luke was gasping and desperate, and it was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

He couldn’t wait anymore. He removed his fingers, closing his eyes at the moan that produced from Luke. Then he lifted Luke slightly, and together, they lowered him onto Reid’s cock. Luke’s breath hitched, and he had to stop several times, and Reid wondered exactly how long it had been for him. But finally, he was fully inside Luke. Luke opened his eyes, and he stared at Reid. They were silent for a while, unmoving. Then Reid leaned forward, cupping Luke’s face as he softly kissed him.

Luke began to move, the muscles in his thighs flexing as he raised himself to his knees and dropped back down again. Reid leaned back slightly, one arm still wrapped around Luke’s waist and the other one holding his weight behind him as he rocked up into Luke. After teasing Luke earlier, he now knew exactly where he wanted Reid the most, and he aimed there with every thrust. Luke’s eyes kept fluttering shut before he forced them open to lock eyes with Reid. He moaned and kissed Reid and dug his fingernails into the skin of Reid’s shoulders. Reid thought he was maybe going to die with the pleasure of it all, and the knowledge that he was the one doing this to Luke, the one making him come undone.

Reid moved his hand from Luke’s back to his front, taking his hard cock in his hand and stroking quickly, roughly. Luke broke their kiss, tilting his head back and groaning harshly. Reid leaned forward, broadly licking up Luke’s neck even as his thumb brushed over the head of Luke’s erection. Luke came, breath irregular as he splashed over Reid’s hand and stomach.

After a few moments, he returned to earth, opening his eyes to stare at Reid. He gave Reid a tantalizing grin, lifted his hands to Reid’s shoulders and pushed. Reid collapsed back onto the mattress, staring at Luke in surprise and lust as Luke leaned forward. He rested his weight on his hands, never breaking Reid’s gaze as he began to ride him. Reid flashed back to that damn mechanical bull and the first time he kissed Luke and the heated fantasies he had that night. Luke squeezed around him, bringing Reid back to the present as he came with a shout.

Luke fell forward onto him, sated. Reid struggled for breath, laughing slightly at the feel of Luke rising up and down with the motion of his chest.

Once he managed to form a coherent thought, he murmured, “You didn’t have to worry about any performance anxiety.”

Luke snickered. “I think there’s a compliment in there somewhere.”

“Ngh,” Reid replied.

Luke lifted himself a few inches and turned his head to kiss Reid slowly. As they pulled apart, Reid added, “Thank you for fucking my brains out.”

Luke laughed, the grin on his face producing an answering one on Reid’s.

“Aw, see. A thank you. You might develop people skills, after all.”

Reid winked at him. “I’d say anything to get you to make love to me again.”

Luke’s grin faltered. He dropped his eyes from Reid’s, focusing instead somewhere around his chin. Luke lifted a hand, tracing his fingers lightly over Reid’s collar bone.

“Clearly,” he said softly.

Reid reached out, tilting Luke’s face up so he could look in his eyes again. He smiled at Luke, and Luke swallowed.

“And sometimes I mean exactly what I say,” Reid asserted.

Luke inhaled shakily.

“Just don’t ever expect me to call it that again.”

Luke laughed, and Reid bent his head forward to kiss him.

The End


End file.
